The first thing new online business owners learn is the power of the offer funnel.

You’ll find WordPress plugins to help you design your funnel and landing-page creators to assist in building it. And yet still your funnel doesn’t perform as it should.

So what’s missing? Cohesiveness.

I know, I know. You mail regularly. You’re making offers. You even make sales. If you weren’t, you certainly wouldn’t be in business this long. But if your funnel isn’t bringing in a steady cash flow that grows month after month, then something is clearly wrong, and I’m betting it’s because you lack consistency and cohesion.

Most of us do, so don’t beat yourself up, but do take a look at your funnel and offers with a critical eye, and ask yourself:

Does my opt-in offer satisfy a real need of my ideal client?

Too often we throw together a simple eBook or webinar without ever stopping to consider if our ideal client—the one we really want to work with—really needs or wants it. Unless your opt-in offer answers a driving question or solves a problem for your client, she’s going to pass.

Does my follow-up series continue to help resolve her issues?

This is where a lot of funnels go off the rails—in the follow up. In order to maintain cohesion and keep your readers’ interest, your follow-up emails should continue to address the issue that originally brought her to you. Unrelated products and random affiliate offers do little to build trust and can even lead to unsubscribes.

Does my big offer follow naturally from the opt-in?

If your opt-in incentive is designed to help homeschooling moms manage their time better, then your group-coaching program must include an element of time management as well. Anything less and your loyal readers will feel as if you don’t know them at all.

Just like a great sales page, all the pieces of your funnel need to flow naturally from one to the next, leading your readers toward bigger and better offers. It’s this cohesiveness that will help plug the leaks and keep your funnel filled with prospective clients who can’t wait to buy from you.